Rules and officiating
Current rulebooks, referee guides and certification, and old rulebooks that are online.
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Links on this page were checked on 2026-11-02.
Current official rulebooks (26)
- 4-Wall 競技規則（ルールブック） (opens in a new tab) (4-wall rules (rulebook), Japan Wall Handball Association, 2007) Official
Four-wall rulebook of the Japan Wall Handball Association, dated October 2007 by its file name.
- CIJB wallball rules (English PDF) (opens in a new tab)
The English-language PDF of the wallball rules published by the International Ball Games Confederation (CIJB). It is a rules document for the international wallball format.
Our pick: The international wallball rules in English, published by the CIJB.
- Competition Regulations (GAA Handball PDF) (opens in a new tab)
PDF of the GAA Handball competition regulations, covering court dimensions, ball specifications, grading, entries and fixtures.
- GAA Handball playing rules (opens in a new tab)
The page on the GAA Handball site that holds the official playing rules for its handball codes. It links to the rule documents rather than reproducing them here.
- Les règles du One Wall (opens in a new tab) (One-wall rules (Belgian balle pelote federation, French)) Official
Four-page French PDF with the one-wall rules from the Belgian balle pelote federation (Title XXV bis): a hard wall 4.90 m high, a court 10.60 m by 6.10 m, teams of two or three registered players and service-line rules.
- Playing Rules: 4-Wall, Wallball, 60x30, Softball, Hardball (GAA Handball PDF) (opens in a new tab)
PDF of the GAA Handball playing rules covering four-wall, wallball, 60x30, softball and hardball play.
- Reglamentos (opens in a new tab) (CIJB rulebooks (wallball, llargues, international game, frontón valenciano)) Official
Rules page of the CIJB, the international ball games confederation, with rule PDFs in Spanish, English and French for wallball, llargues, the international game and fronton valenciano.
- Règlements du 1 mur (opens in a new tab) (One-wall rules (Balle au Mur Québec, 2021, French)) Official
French-language one-wall rules from Balle au Mur Quebec, 2021 edition, linked from the association's home page.
- Règlements du 4-3 murs (opens in a new tab) (Four-wall and three-wall rules (Balle au Mur Québec, 2021, French)) Official
French-language four-wall and three-wall rules from Balle au Mur Quebec, 2021 edition.
- Rules and Regulations (GAA Handball) (opens in a new tab) Official
Rules and Regulations page on the GAA Handball site. It links the Playing Rules and the Competition Regulations as PDF downloads; it has no one-wall rules document.
Our pick: Where the official GAA Handball playing rules and competition regulations are published.
- USHA abridged rules (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
Two-page USHA abridged handball rules for teaching curricula, noting that handball can be played indoors, outdoors, on a four-wall court or any smooth surface, by two, three or four players.
- USHA four-wall rulebook (opens in a new tab)
The page on the USHA site for its official four-wall handball rulebook, the rules used in USHA-sanctioned four-wall and three-wall play.
Our pick: The official USHA four-wall rulebook, the reference for four-wall play in North America.
- USHA guidelines for tournaments (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
USHA guidelines for running sanctioned tournaments, as a PDF linked from its tournament tools page.
- USHA intercollegiate rules (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
A PDF of the USHA intercollegiate handball rules, covering how handball is played in college competition under the association.
- USHA one-wall handball page (opens in a new tab)
USHA one-wall handball page with the record books, the one-wall rulebook and a link to the New York Handball Hall of Fame.
- USHA one-wall rulebook (opens in a new tab)
The page on the USHA site for its official one-wall handball rulebook, in the site's Learn Handball section.
Our pick: The official USHA one-wall rulebook, the reference for one-wall play in the United States.
- USHA rules and information (opens in a new tab)
USHA rules and information page, with its referee guides for four-wall, three-wall and one-wall play, court specifications and current policies.
- USHA tools to run a tournament (opens in a new tab)
USHA page for tournament organizers with a tournament guidelines PDF and the sanctioning agreement.
- USHA tournament sanctioning agreement (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
USHA tournament sanctioning agreement, as a PDF linked from its tournament tools page.
- USWA official wallball rules (opens in a new tab)
The official wallball rules page of the United States Wallball Association, with its playing rules (revised October 2026) and conduct standards.
Our pick: The official wallball rules of the United States Wallball Association.
- Wall Ball (opens in a new tab) (CIJB wallball rules (Spanish)) Official
Spanish edition of the CIJB wallball rules, as a PDF linked from the confederation's rules page.
- Wall Ball (opens in a new tab) (CIJB wallball rules (French)) Official
French edition of the CIJB wallball rules, as a PDF linked from the confederation's rules page.
- ウォールハンドボール(4-WALL)の競技規則概要 (opens in a new tab) (Overview of the wall handball (4-wall) rules, JWHA, 2017) Official
Japan Wall Handball Association overview of the four-wall rules, dated September 2017 by its file name.
- ワンウォールハンドボール(1-wall）の競技規則概要 (opens in a new tab) (Overview of the one-wall handball rules, JWHA, 2019) Official
Japanese-language overview of one-wall handball rules from the Japan Wall Handball Association, version 0.21 of 9 May 2019: singles and doubles, games to 21-21-11, side-out scoring and the start of play.
- ワンウォールハンドボール（1-wall）サービスルール (opens in a new tab) (One-wall handball service rules, JWHA, 2019) Official
Japan Wall Handball Association document on the service rules of one-wall handball, from 2019.
- 競技規則等 (opens in a new tab) (Rules and related documents (Japan Wall Handball Association)) Official
Rules page of the Japan Wall Handball Association, with seven PDFs: a 2007 four-wall rulebook, a 2008 referee guide, rule overviews, 2019 service rules and technique guides.
Referee guides and certification (8)
- Become a Referee (GAA Handball) (opens in a new tab) Official
Entry page on the GAA Handball site for people who want to referee. It links to the Bronze award, the referee pathway and the playing rules.
- Guide for handball referees (USHA, 2022 PDF) (opens in a new tab)
2022 USHA guide for handball referees, three-wall and four-wall version, opening with general comments on the losers-ref system in which each player referees once per event.
- Guide for one-wall handball referees (USHA, 2025 PDF) (opens in a new tab)
A 2025 PDF guide for referees of one-wall handball, published by the United States Handball Association.
- Handball Referee Bronze Award (GAA learning portal) (opens in a new tab)
GAA Handball Referee Bronze Level Certificate page on the Tobar learning portal: the first step of the referee pathway, an online exam of about 45 minutes that leads to the local referees panel.
- Know the Rules: Host a Ref Clinic by USHA (WPH, 2018) (opens in a new tab)
Post from January 2018 on the WPH Live TV site explaining how a USHA referee clinic works: a Level 5 referee hosts it, and every USHA national tournament runs one. Dated material.
- Referee Zone (GAA Handball) (opens in a new tab) Official
Referee Zone page on the GAA Handball site. It sets out the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum referee levels, how each is earned, and that courses are led by national tutors.
Our pick: Sets out the GAA Handball referee levels and how each is earned; the starting point for Irish officials.
- USHA referee certification (opens in a new tab)
USHA page describing its five referee certification levels, with lists of certified referees.
Our pick: Explains the USHA's five referee certification levels; the entry point for US officials.
- レフリーガイド (opens in a new tab) (Referee guide, Japan Wall Handball Association, 2008) Official
Referee guide of the Japan Wall Handball Association, dated February 2008 by its file name.